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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · deal · date · degree · bear · bowl · can · foot

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. date — the fruit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. degree — an amount
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com